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Abrams and Kasdan Take Over Writing of New ‘Star Wars’ Movie

There has been a (minor) disturbance in the force: Lucasfilm on Thursday said that Michael Arndt would be replaced as the screenwriter of “Star Wars: Episode VII,” which is scheduled to begin filming in the spring, for a planned 2015 release.

J.J. Abrams, who is directing the movie, and the Lucasfilm veteran Lawrence Kasdan (“Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back” and “Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi”) have taken over the writing responsibilities. The studio, a division of the Walt Disney Company, did not give a reason for the departure of Mr. Arndt, who wrote screenplays for “Toy Story 3” and “Little Miss Sunshine.”

“I am very excited about the story we have in place,” Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm’s president, said in a statement. “Michael Arndt has done a terrific job bringing us to this point.”

A version of this article appears in print on October 25, 2013, on page C2 of the New York edition with the headline: ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’
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